Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: €800 million to support research careers, training and mobility in 2014

The European Commission today publishes the first tranche of funding 'calls' for research grants totalling €800 million in 2014, under the new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). Part of the new Horizon 2020 programme, the MSCA support European research training and career development. The first calls are targeted at research organisations, universities, companies and non-governmental organisations. Overall, the MSCA will allocate more than €6 billion in 2014-2020.

The MSCA are under the responsibility of Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth. She said: "We are building on a great success story since the launch of the MSCA scheme in 1996. In the next seven years we will be able to fund a total of 65 000 researchers, who will make a vital contribution to science and innovation in Europe."

Research institutes, universities, companies and NGOs involved in research can apply for funding through the MSCA's Innovative Training Networks, which are aimed at early-stage researchers without a PhD. The training provides experience outside academia to develop transversal skills to encourage innovation, entrepreneurship and employability Non-European organisations can also take part in the Innovative Training Networks (ITNs), enabling doctoral-level candidates to gain experience outside Europe.

There are three types of ITNs:

European Training Networks (ETN) involve at least three partners in three different Member States/associated countries;

European Industrial Doctorates (EID) involve at least one company and one research institution entitled to deliver a PhD degree; the company and research institution must be based in two different Member States/associated countries;

European Joint Doctorates (EJD) replace the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorates and include consortia of at least three beneficiaries entitled to award doctoral degrees, located in three different Member States and associated countries.

ITNs have the largest share of the MSCA budget, awarding more than €400 million under this call. Of this amount, €25.5 million will be allocated to European Industrial Doctorates and €30 million to European Joint Doctorates.

Organisations involved in research or innovation can also receive support for inter-sectoral partnerships under the MSCA's Research and Innovation Staff Exchange action (RISE). RISE supports short-term mobility of research and innovation staff at all career levels, from post-graduate to management, including administrative and technical staff. In worldwide partnerships, academia-to-academia exchanges are also possible. €70 million is available under this call.

Organisations wishing to organise a European Researchers' Night event in September 2014 and September 2015 should submit a proposal now. These Europe-wide events, held on the same day, aim to bring researchers and their work closer to the public and to stimulate interest in research careers, especially among young people. €8 million is available under this call.

Finally, National Contact Points (NCPs) can apply to the call for transnational cooperation. €1.5 million is available to support a network of formally appointed NCPs in identifying and sharing good practices and raising the standard of support to applicants.

More information on the calls, eligibility criteria and deadlines can be found on the EU Participant Portal.

Calls for Individual Fellowships (€240.5 million) and COFUND (€80 million), the action through which the MSCA tops up regional, national and international programmes for research training, will be published on 12 March 2014 and 10 April 2014 respectively.

Background

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions account for 8% of the overall Horizon 2020 budget, with more than €6 billion in funding for 2014-2020.1 This is around 30% more than the current allocation of €4.7 billion under the Marie Curie Actions for 2007-2013. The new budget will support more than 65 000 researchers, of which almost 40% will be PhD candidates.

The MSCA support researchers at all stages of their careers, irrespective of nationality. Researchers working across all disciplines, from life-saving healthcare to natural sciences and 'blue-sky' research, will be eligible for funding.